The offensive linemen for the Colts clarify what it really means to play “five guys as one.”
According to Pro Football Focus, the offensive line of the Colts is ranked in the top 10 for pass-blocking grade, run-blocking grade, and sacks allowed through the team’s first eight games of the season. The team attributes its progress to their tightened relationships during the summer.
Tony Sparano Jr., the offensive line coach for the Colts, had one goal in mind when he learned he had been hired: to make his team play as a five-man unit.
He has successfully instilled that message in his players over the past few months, which has helped revitalize an offensive line that was long thought to be among the best in the NFL.
“He definitely emphasizes playing together and doing stuff outside of the facility and building the relationships because it actually does translate onto the field,” Quenton Nelson, the left guard, said. “You have to be able to pass off when the defensive line performs acrobatics throughout a game. To do that, you have to get together. The success of that has been greatly attributed to Coach Sparano.”
However, what does playing five players as one actually mean?
The main idea is that, regardless of who is on the field, everyone is cooperating with one another, even though the exact words may vary depending on who you ask.
“Every play must be executed with everyone on the same page while playing five as one. But offensive linemen, that’s our world, and if anybody makes a mistake at any moment, certainly everybody notices,” center Wesley French remarked. “The play won’t function if you don’t do positive things; you can only do positive things. Thus, the most important thing for everyone is to be in agreement. Every moment, all five players need to be in sync with one another. Following that, you simply let go, play, and enjoy yourself. In my opinion, it just means ensuring that everyone is in agreement with each play. Errors will inevitably occur, but you should just keep going and make sure that everyone is okay.”
The origins of the collaborative mentality came from Sparano’s father, Tony, who coached in the NFL for 17 years.
“That’s what he believed in, trying to take five guys and mold them into one unit and make them believe in one another, play for each other and see things really through the same set of eyes,” said Sparano Jr. The closest offensive lines have been the best ones I’ve seen since I started my coaching career. The individuals who have faced difficulties in my presence are those who may not have been as close. That’s the most significant issue, in my opinion. That, in my opinion, is the basis for everything. It’s necessary to begin someplace. It’s essential to have a core set of beliefs, and mine is that. So, if you can get them all together and build the group dynamic then you have a real chance to do something special.”
Spending time together away from the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center has been one of the ways Sparano has pushed his players to develop camaraderie.
Right guard Will Fries stated that the group’s development has benefited greatly from the opportunity for members to get to know one another personally, even if that means just coming to each other’s homes or going out to dinner.
“It’s something where you go and spend time to [get to] know other people more personally and know them on a deeper level,” Fries explained. We don’t simply speak football all the time; we also get to know one another off the field. chatting lightheartedly to one another and inquiring about one another’s families. That, in my opinion, is crucial to developing chemistry and developing the unit. The various activities we’ve done together this offseason, as well as our trips to the guys’ houses and dinners there, have all been a lot of fun. That has been crucial to the development of the entire unit.”
Through the first eight games of the season, it seems like all of that time spent together has paid off.
Pro Football Focus reports that the unit has only allowed eight sacks (tied for eighth-lowest), has a 72.7 run-blocking grade (fourth highest), and a 71.7 pass-blocking grade (10th highest in the NFL).
Left tackle Bernhard Raimman attributed his team’s success to their improved bond, saying it is simpler to perform well when you know your teammates have your back.
“Clearly, it helps with the chemistry on the field on the one hand. You just learn so much more about the person playing next to you, and conversation becomes simpler,” Raimman remarked. On the other hand, you’re able to stick together in a whole different way when things go tough than when you’re not that tight. We form these relationships outside of football, and when something happens to someone, football-related or not, we support one another. That simply elevates the whole football thing from a recreational activity to a family activity. It seems like a family-run company.”
The way the men work together throughout a game tells Sparano that they are playing five guys as one.
“It shows up in little things, the way they’re finishing blocks together, the way they’re covering down the field, helping our guys off the ground (our running backs or receivers), the way they’re helping each other up,” Sparano Jr. explained. The manner in which they converse on the field and connect with one another in between plays is undoubtedly important, as is the overall synergy of our efforts.
“Do they make good combos with each other? Are they settling in nicely? You can see quite clearly, in my opinion, when a player trusts those around him and when he’s not sure where guys are going to be around him (I’ll use pass protection as an example). Seeing them play together, work through issues as a team, and interact with one another is really important to me.”
Things won’t get any easier for Sparano’s offensive line as they get ready for the rigors of the second half of the season. But he suggested they can weather the storm if they stick together and make the most of their time together. e locker rooms to truly forge that bond.
“You know the guys you play with genuinely care about you, so you use each other to get through that adversity.” You know, they’re not just interested in numbers 78 or 56. They’re there for you and they genuinely care about people,” said Sparano Jr. The phrase ‘brothers’ is used a lot in this game, and I believe that being a part of a team like this and spending time in one of these locker rooms gives you a unique opportunity to play like that and form that sort of camaraderie.
If you don’t, you’ll probably end the game feeling like you didn’t quite reach your full potential. You really can’t fake it, in my opinion. You must put in that time and take the effort to get to know and care about one another if you truly want to get the most out of the group and yourself.”
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